cocoloco's Profile

Many thanks for your quick response! We actually go to the Picholine bar as well a tradition for our birthdays (we love cheese) but we also do something in addition to that! They do actually offer their full menu at the bar menu and the bartender, Eric, is very friendly and accomodating! We indulge a bit and we always have an extra dinner in addition to Picholine. This is exactly the type of dining we are looking for though so I would welcome additional suggestions.

This is a bit of a specialized request. Every year for our birthdays my BF and I treat each other to an upscale restaurant (or 2!) where we have the tasting menu (examples include Jean Georges, Le Bernadin, Daniel, etc), as I'm sure many can relate. Well, his birthday is next month and I am unfortunately struggling with a back injury where it is very painful for me to sit rather than stand (I have not been able to sit through a dinner for over a year). I would really like to give him a special dining experience, especially since he has been so patient and kind to me through this experience. Can anyone recommend a restaurant where we can we can have a tasting menu at a bar or high table. Preferably it would be a place where we can make a reservation for such seating, as standing for long periods is also difficult for me. I know this is a bit of a specialized request, but he is very special and I would greatly appreciate any thoughts!

I am traveling to Oz and NZ for the first time this week. I'm in Sydney for a week on business and would appreciate any recommendations for a solo diner. I'm especially looking for seafood and am looking for everything from fine dining to great little shacks on the beach. The ambience doesn't matter much as long as it's amenable to solo diners and the food is excellent.

Then I'm on to South Island with my boyfriend for a week and making the typical circuit - Christchurch, Greymouth, Franz Josef and Fox, Queenstown, Milford Sound. Any and all great eats along the way would be much appreciated. We are driving the route so are willing to go off the beaten path a bit for anything that's worth it. Also looking for suggestions on the long trek between Franz Josef and Queenstown. Is wine country on that jaunt?

Finally, we are heading up to Port Cove area for the final week. This is the area I'm finding the least info on and would appreciate any special gems!

I've done a little research on the topic, including here, and it seems that there is a lot of dissent on the Cuisinart models and some mixed reviews on Capresso. I'm looking for a grind and brew for my BF around the $200 or so range. He likes freshly ground coffee beans and always complains that "no one" ever makes him coffee. "No one" refers to guess who - so i'm looking for a grind and brew that is easy to clean (b/c i will be the one cleaning it) but that makes a mean cup of coffee. I've seen reviews that the Capresso model leaves ground coffee in the bin so the next time you make a pot, a portion of the coffee beans are left over from the last time. I would only be making 2 cups most of the time - if that makes a difference in the coffee maker. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!